Bought H2O - Received Garbage

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Why should Kobo pay for the return? Surely this was a faulty item from Chapters and they should cover the replacement.

How could this be the fault of Chapters?

[Canuck_in_Japan]

Well it's not the fault of the customer that's for sure. He's certainly due a new reader and he shouldn't have to pay any shipping charges. Although the fact that one single instance of faulty hardware confirms his anti-Kobo bias is pretty laughable.

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by soulfuldog

Good luck with your replacement kobayashi, but why the need to be so down on Kobo just because you've been unlucky with one purchase. Why not wait and see how your replacement is handled. It's not like there is a huge problem with the build quality of the H2O's, most people are pretty happy with theirs?

That would be because from the photographs this is legitimately a manufacturing defect, not shipping damage. It was Kobo ' s responsibility to make things right at their cost, and since they didn't want to do that now the credit card company has to take them by their little hands and make them do so.

Being ticked off by their costumer (dodging) service department is appropriate.

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by rcentros

How could this be the fault of Chapters?

Maybe because he BOUGHT it from Chapters and NOT Kobo!

Originally Posted by kobayashi

Brand new H2O from Chapters that arrived with the top half of the reader peeling away from the bottom half.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Maybe because he BOUGHT it from Chapters and NOT Kobo!

So long as Kobo pays Chapters for their screw-up.

Originally Posted by rcentros

How could this be the fault of Chapters?

It depends whether it is a manufacturing defect, or Chapters was reselling returned merchandise.

[kobayashi]

Originally Posted by BWinmill

It depends whether it is a manufacturing defect, or Chapters was reselling returned merchandise.

It still had the orginal screen protection film on it so I'd hope that it wasn't a return. Didn't see any obvious marks or fingerprints either. Just seems like a case of shoddy manufacturing.

Originally Posted by kobayashi

It still had the orginal screen protection film on it so I'd hope that it wasn't a return. Didn't see any obvious marks or fingerprints either. Just seems like a case of shoddy manufacturing.

A manufacturer's defect is certainly a possibility. Manufacturer's have to accept a certain failure rate, otherwise it becomes prohibitively expensive to produce goods. Warranties are often legislated to protect both the consumer (to ensure that manufacturers take responsibility for defects) and manufacturers (to keep costs down by permitting acceptable failure rates). None of this implies that the manufacturing is shoddy. It simply accepts that it is impossible to guarantee that every unit comes off the assembly line perfect and prohibitively expensive to do comprehensive testing on every unit to lower failure rates to near-zero.

Based upon reports around here, your situation sounds exceptionally rare and acceptable. Yes, it is frustrating to you as a consumer -- but that's why you have recourse. Quite frankly, I'd be more concerned about the "format errors" that people are seeing. The failure rates are much higher and implies some sort of systematic problem with manufacturing or the firmware.

Yet I wouldn't discount a return either. Some people will return a product in pristine condition (e.g. wipe it down prior to returning it and leave protective plastic in place until they know they're going to keep it). It isn't exactly unheard of for consumers or stores to replace seals either.

To make a long store short, no one here knows the history of your unit so it's hard to make reliable assumptions about accountability. We only know that you've received a defective unit that needs a replacement, and that Chapters or Kobo needs to do so in a prompt manner.

[Canuck_in_Japan]

Just like to report that my Kobo Aura H2O showed up in pristine condition this morning! I guess the horror stories about Kobo quality are not true after all!

[kobayashi]

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

Just like to report that my Kobo Aura H2O showed up in pristine condition this morning! I guess the horror stories about Kobo quality are not true after all!

You must have missed post #4. LOL

[sparklemotion]

I agree with the others, give them a chance to make it right. I'm sure your next one will be fine.

Originally Posted by Athropos

Not sure about the waterproofness of your unit, maybe you shouldn't try to use it in your bath until you get a new one.

[Rizla]

The good news is Chapters agreed to send out a new device, though asking you to pay return shipping was a bare-faced cheek, but they gave in pretty quick by the sounds of it. I wonder if they would have been willing to pay shipping if the OP hadn't got the credit-card people involved?

Also, I wonder how Kobo themselves would have handled this.

It's a shame Kobos can't be had in brick stores in the USA, then the whole doubt about returns and the delays involved could be avoided. As it is, it seems only Kindles can be found in the wild.

[kobayashi]

Originally Posted by Rizla

The good news is Chapters agreed to send out a new device, though asking you to pay return shipping was a bare-faced cheek, but they gave in pretty quick by the sounds of it. I wonder if they would have been willing to pay shipping if the OP hadn't got the credit-card people involved?

Also, I wonder how Kobo themselves would have handled this.

It's a shame Kobos can't be had in brick stores in the USA, then the whole doubt about returns and the delays involved could be avoided. As it is, it seems only Kindles can be found in the wild.

Agreed on all counts.

[Ripplinger]

There are a few stores around that do sell Kobos, but it's only independent book stores, not any big chain stores. And most of those independents won't stock every Kobo, but they say they could order them. I've only bought Glos and did pick them up from a local bookstore.

Here's a link that lists some book stores that will stock Kobos. Kobo also has a list somewhere but I can never find it on their website when I need it. There's another small chain not listed that sells Kobos, Family Christian Bookstores. But call ahead if they do indeed stock what you're looking for.

Edit: Found a Kobo link, but it seems to reference back to the IndieBound.org site:
http://www.kobo.com/indie

[JSWolf]

There are at least two local independent bookstores listing the H2O on their website. There could be others. What I don't get is why Kobo isn't listing the shops in the US that sell the H2O.